Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Researching Ghosts by Diane Burton

Have you ever started researching a topic only to discover you’ve spent the better part of an hour going from one site to another to another? Those pesky side links. If I'd been at the library, my table would've been covered with books.

In a HubSpot (marketing site) article about bad habits, the author wrote about Black Hole Browsing. Although I’d never heard of that term, I knew exactly what it meant. I’ve fallen victim to that bad habit more than once. In fact, while researching the topic of ghosts for this post, I visited way too many sites.

Casper is my idea of a ghost. Although I’ve never seen a ghost, I believe others have because they believe they did. What how could I possibly write about ghosts when I write science fiction? That took some researching and before I knew it—Wham!—I’d fallen into that Black Hole.

Back on topic. I do believe the spirits of our deceased loved ones still care about us and watch over us. My main character in Mission to New Earth does, too. (Funny how that works.) An only child, Sara was suddenly orphaned at 26. We don’t think of adults as orphans, do we? After author Pauline Baird Jones wrote about losing her parents and thereby making her an orphan, I thought about myself. I guess you could say I’m an orphan, too, since both my parents are gone, though not as traumatically as Pauline’s or my character, Sara. My parents died of old age and complications of COPD and Alzheimer’s. My sibs and I had plenty of time to prepare.

Losing her parents made Sara’s decision to sign up for a one-way trip to a new planet a lot easier. Then I started to wonder. What would Sara’s folks think about her leaving the teaching world and going into training to be an astronaut? Would they approve, be fearful for her, or caution her to be safe and stay home? Would they like her choice of mate, Marsh Rayburn, former SEAL and her second in command on the mission? I never go into that in the story, but I like to think they would watch over Sara, keeping her safe. More like guardian angels than ghosts.

Mission to New Earth

Blurb:

Would you go on a one-way trip to explore a new planet? Would you do it to save humankind?

Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to expedite exploration of new planets for a possible new home. When new crises ensue—a giant tsunami and the threat of nuclear winter—the timeline changes. Eight years of training crammed into four. Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, but are they ready for the one-way trip? Will the Goldilocks planet prove just right for Earth’s inhabitants? Before time runs out.


Throughout the month of September, I’m running a Giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Pop over to my blog to enter. 


Diane Burton writes science fiction romance, romantic suspense, and mysteries. She blogs here on the 13th of each month. She is also a contributor to The Roses of Prose blog, posting there on the 30th. On Mondays, she muses about various topics on her own blog.

Friday, September 9, 2016

#Ghosts in the Literary Machine

Ghost stories are nothing new. In fact, ghosts and spirits have populated literature for centuries. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet appears no less than three times in the telling of the tale. By their very definition, ghosts can't technically hurt us–at least not physically. Yes there are reports of ghosts throwing objects, but in most stories ghosts are limited in their ability to interact with the physical world.

In fact, ghosts that do interact with the physical world are not called spirits so much as poltergeists. And spirits are not necessarily ghosts, insomuch as a ghost is the remnant of a living being where the spirit may always have been a spirit.

So why then are we so afraid of them?

Head over to Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, and we discover the effect that four potent ghosts have on Ebenezer Scrooge. The first is Jacob Marley, who appears to Scrooge all wrapped in chains and dragging his past regrets along with him. While Marley does not actually physically hurt Scrooge, he does warn him that he faces a similar fate. No one wants to imagine that they will pass away and wake up to an afterlife in which they suffer.

It can be argued that a ghost's greatest threat is psychological.

After Marley's visit, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Of these three only the ghost of Christmas future is scary, for the spirit says nothing. Yet, he points to Scrooge's future…a lonely death. The benefit of this visitation or "haunting" is Scrooge's chance to change.

In fiction, ghosts are guideposts or catalysts for change. They may also be a punishment to torment the wicked. Still in other tales, ghosts or spirits linger behind because their work or their lives are left unfinished… they either have some task that needs to be completed or they're unwilling to abandon their loved ones.

Whether you're sitting around the campfire, staying in an old hotel, or visiting a notorious location, the idea of ghosts lingering to share their tales is provocative. So much so, that people make a living of searching for or hunting for ghosts.

Do you believe in ghosts?




Recently divorced author MacKenzie Dillon has lost her writing mojo. When she inherits her great aunt's haunted house in Virginia, she is determined to make a new start. The creepy old house provides inspiration but at what cost?

Successful architect and paranormal skeptic Justin Kent returns to Penny Hollow to fulfill his father's dying wish of revitalizing their small town. To do that, he needs the allegedly haunted estate at Summerfield. Mac, the new owner, may be gorgeous and spunky, but she refuses to sell.

These two have a dangerous history that spans the ages, but will they discover the truth in time to save their lives?

Monday, September 5, 2016

Color of Romance

Hi everyone! I've missed being here and can only say I'm happy as heck to be back though I did over sleep. Occasionally personal things get in the way and it took a while to push them aside - but I'm back!

I've been busy writing and hope you've noticed! My latest series about vampires are all multicultural/interracial with MM and MMF storylines which started as one book. However, when characters begin conversing among themselves - that often changes. One wants a story, then another, and another... With them all, romance comes in many colors!


The Triumvirate started out as WHITE BLOOD, Cayson Covett and Jackson Reynold's story written for Nightshade Collections in honor of Loving Day in June of this year. I didn't see I WON'T STOP coming until Layne Indigo smacked me on the head and said: "Really? Did you expect I'd sit by quietly and let those other guys have all the sex...umm, I meant fun!" I'm glad he complained because I enjoyed writing his story. It was even better getting to know Julius Talmane in TWICE THE BURN. He kind of needled everyone in the first two stories and plain just screwed around living on the fringes of life but when he finds his mate, Isaiah 'Ice' Sims, and then falls for Layne's mother, things get pretty sticky considering Juls and Layne were once together! Watching him find happiness made me feel good and Julius' story has become my favorite.

They are all at All Romance Ebooks and Amazon.




Here's a bit from TWICE THE BURN:

Julius Talmane turns Isaiah Sims because he desires having him forever. The Triumvirate has little choice but to give its blessing considering Julius is not only its third member, he’s Layne Indigo’s best friend. What he didn’t see coming is falling for one woman he should never ever dream of touching.

One creature seizes Piara Kaur Indigo’s attention; another is thrown in her lap. Not only does she crave both, together, she intends to keep them. Their inability to hide shared carnal desires from Piara’s son, Layne, the strongest, most magical vampire alive, may well spin civilization toward destruction. Nature is on a rampage and no one is safe!

Normally better at camouflaging what he felt, Isaiah shivered as if someone walked over his grave. More importantly, why had the monster set up shop in his psyche? Bastard continued to sift through every open pathway stealing bits and pieces of his mundane life. “Get the fuck out!” he growled.
“Ice, dude!”
Looking up he realized not only the chef eyed him, two other employees peered at him through shelving. “I’ll be back.” Both men stepped aside when he limped past and headed up a flight of stairs to his spacious apartment. Locking the door, he immediately began to strip clothes off on the way to his bathroom. “No, no, not now, not a man.” Don’t let him see! Stepping in the shower, he set the faucet to spew tepid water down his body which, though it felt overheated, continued to tremble as though ice water sloshed through his veins. “I will kill you if I ever lay eyes on you.” Christ, he’d never felt one like this, not attached to every sensual nerve linked to his brain cells, not burrowed so deep inside him… “Jesus, God, help me.” He allowed water to sluice down his back while soaping his chest and belly. Reaching his crotch, he begged, “Please, please don’t watch me.”
* * *
Julius had dematerialized and ended standing in front of a mirror in his suite’s bathroom thinking first thing he should do is inform Layne. Empathic individuals were scarce and many of those surviving had been mustered by vampires into service, their abilities honed and used as instruments against their own people.
“Not him, not Isaiah Sims. Leave him be.” Julius never desired anyone this much except… No! He thought he’d shoved her from his mind. Falling the fuck apart. Ignoring his own advice, Julius planted himself in the man’s psyche where Isaiah discovered him immediately, felt Julius’ furtive tentacles reach into every corner of his brain snatching parts of his life. “Christ, he almost controls his power.” Many empaths shut down completely by leaving society and they subsisted away from anything living. Some lost their minds and lived out remaining days in mental institutions while many more, unable to handle the cacophony of voices as well as feelings rattling through their heads, ended their lives before they even reached adulthood.
Julius had travelled up steps with Ice and entered a large apartment where he undressed, scrambled through an airy room into his bathroom, and turning water on, he stepped under a cool spray. Julius grasped every move, he even began to stroke his cock in time with Ice until he made a fantastic discovery. His heart thundered at learning Isaiah had yet to give himself to a man, take pleasure the way he always dreamed. “Mine!” Julius exclaimed.
Trying to remain quietly ensconced in Isaiah’s head wasn’t easy. In fact, he failed miserably as his own neediness swept through his body and rendered his dick so hard his vision blurred, but then Isaiah pleaded, Please, please don’t watch me. Agony in his words dropped Julius to one knee.
Julius Talmane’s existence had become one of imparting pleasure to anyone interested. Stay in his head, give him what he craves. “What the fuck!” Julius, unable to regain his feet, couldn’t find it in himself to disobey such a heartfelt cry. “I can’t do this,” he whispered as he relinquished Isaiah’s mind.

The Triumvirate books 1 & 2
WHITE BLOOD
When bitten, blood runs in one color.
Cayson left Jackson and he's pissed off—Jack has one question: "How many vampires banged your ass?"

I WON'T STOP
Ancient blood runs deep and it's much colder!
Layne Indigo threw a racist prick out the window of a high rise office building in White Blood. See what he's up to in the second Triumvirate story

Hope you get to enjoy my bloody boys!

They are all at All Romance Ebooks and Amazon.


“Life is complicated, it’s loud. Death arrives silently.” - From TWICE THE BURN

Growl and roar-it’s okay to let the beast out. - J. Hali Steele




Sunday, September 4, 2016

Things That Go Bump In the Night...

by Maureen L. Bonatch

—or at least like to change your favorite television show

I believe the house we used to live in was haunted.



As a paranormal/fantasy author you’d think this observation would thrill me. Not. So. Much. Turns out, I’m very happy to experience the paranormal world in my writing, in books, and movies but not too happy to run into it in the real world.


Lucky for us, the ‘ghost’ wasn’t threatening in any real way. More of a “hey, I’m here” kind of behavior. I assumed our uninvited houseguest was the woman who used to live in the house showing her displeasure that we couldn’t maintain her once gorgeous flower gardens. But I had absolutely no green thumb and the hubs had accidently (or intentionally?) plowed over some of the overgrown plants in his efforts to get the ungainly yard back under control.


Hey, I’m Here

Our otherworldly guest left little clues that ‘she’ was still hanging around like…


  • The stove burner turned on
  • The door to the garage slowly opening
  • The dog staring into an empty room, growling at something unseen
  • A radio (which initially resisted turning off) blaring on in the basement while I slept
  • A Christmas decoration, long packed away, beginning to play when I approached the box
  • Every night when I watched my favorite show she’d change the channel. (I’m guessing she didn’t approve of my choice in sitcom.)


Eventually she moved on as the occurrences diminished and then disappeared leaving me silently relieved that I hadn’t pushed her over the edge and forced her to drag me out of bed if one of my feet escaped the protection and security of the blanket.


What Happens in the Fiction World, Stays in the Fiction World

After some contemplation, I’ve come to realize that experiencing the paranormal in the fiction world, does provide a small level of security since some things can always be relied upon. Applying these certainties from fiction/movies provides me with an irrational level of comfort.


  • Bad things only happen at night

I could be in the same place, and hear the exact same noise, but it provokes a certain level of terror if it’s dark outside. Somehow the evil, unearthly forces retreat when the sun rises as my shield of protection. Too bad mister ghost, the sun just rose, I’m in the safe zone.
  • Blankets can protect you from anything

No matter how old I get there is still a certain comfort and security found under the protection of a blanket. “Oh wait, is that a ghost/vampire/monster I heard? Quick! Get under the blanket until it leaves. It will never be able to penetrate this polyester shield!”
  • Killers never run

In just about every horror movie I’ve ever seen that features a helpless (and usually clumsy) victim fleeing from some kind of a monster. The victim is running full force yet still can’t seem to outrun the slow stride of the approaching evil. (Thus validating my personal abhorrence of running)
  • Start to worry if it gets too quiet

Ok, this only works in the movies, but it’s my cue to avert my attention so I don’t toss my popcorn or inadvertently scream. This tactic is probably intended to build suspense, but it also has the inadvertent effect of reducing spilled drinks and bruises on boyfriend/husband’s arms.
  • The music is your first clue

Grab the chair arms and hold your breath—cause something wicked this way comes. Again, this only works in the movies—unless you’re like me and constantly have music on the mind. Then you might have your own ominous tune starting up as your heart races when you turn the page.

So tell me, what do you do when something goes bump in the night?


    Moon, Mist & Magic 
     Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights. 
     Enjoy your favorite author, and perhaps discover someone new, in these five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic…


Featuring Stories by
Maureen L. Bonatch, Abigail Owen,
 J.C. McKenzie, Sharon Saracino & L.A. Kelley

About Maureen
Maureen writes stories in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that boast laughter, light suspense and something magical in the hope of sharing her love of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She writes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.

Find Me:
Writing on my Website
Tweeting on Twitter
Pinning on Pinterest
Flapping on Facebook

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Is Your House Haunted...Or is it Something Else?



My name is Sophia Kimble and I write paranormal romance. Why you ask? Well, I’ve had several paranormal experiences, and I love romance.


To decide if your house is haunted or not, let’s look at the different types of hauntings/ghosts.

1.     Residual Haunting 

This type of haunting is really just an event that happened at a location sometime in the past that got stuck on a rewinding loop. The ghost/entity does not interact, is not actually there, but energy replays something that happened long ago. It can be a visual or audio-type experience. 

Energy does not dissipate but changes form, and sometimes reforms into an event that happened before. Some of these hauntings are from a traumatic event (like battlefield ghosts) or from an action done over and over (like staircase hauntings).

     I’ve had what I think is this type of experience. I woke up one night to see an old woman staring down at me from the side of my bed, though she seemed to look straight through me. She then turned and walked through the bathroom door and disappeared.
     When you’re below that room of my house, you can occasionally hear someone walking from the bedroom, and across the bathroom floor in the same direction the old woman took...even when no one else is home.
     I’ve considered this could have been an episode of sleep paralysis, but I wasn’t paralyzed and it was totally different from my previous experience. Read more about the demon I saw and my experience with sleep paralysis here.

2.   Shadow People- 

Ghosts that appear in varied form of shadow. They can be black human shaped, hatted, wispy/smoky, hooded, or partially formed. They show themselves in many ways and often times we see them dart by from the corner of our eye. Perhaps they are intelligent ghosts who are unable to fully show themselves, or something else entirely?

3.     Intelligent Haunting

This involves the ghost/spirit of a human entity who is aware of and tries to communicate with a living person. They try to get your attention in many ways; turning things on and off, moving objects, making noise, or even hiding things. 

Some people believe this type of ghost is either trapped in our world, or has come back for a visit. Sometimes the only sign of this type of haunting are things like goosebumps, feeling of being watched, or uneasiness.

4.     Poltergeists- 

This is called a noisy ghost. They are usually very noticeable. They slam doors, turn lights on and off, break objects, move furniture, and much more.


Just seeing if you’re paying attention.

I was looking for a picture of a shadow man, and he popped up. I said, "Yes please!"



Is Your House Haunted…Or is it something else?
Current beliefs are that Poltergeist-type activity is actually caused by a living person with psychokinetic abilities (PK). PK is the ability of the subconscious mind to move objects. People who have this may not even be aware of the ability.

It has been found to show up most often in pubescent girls, though anyone can have this ability. These bursts of PK can come and go. It usually happens when the person is under duress/extreme stress.

Or…it is a ghost who is really pissed off. :)

                  A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen at the sink, mad about something, when I hear a crash right beside me. My grandmother’s plate that had hung in my kitchen for 12 years was on the floor broken to bits. In order to get this off the wall, “one” would have to lift the holder up and over the large nail head.
PK or intelligent haunting?
                  My sister was sitting in her office when an encyclopedia flew from the bookshelf behind her. These books are very difficult to get in and out of the shelf.
Ghost or PK?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do believe in ghosts and most all things paranormal!

There are many types of hauntings, not all are listed here, but as you can see ghosts come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. And range from wreaking total havoc to being like as benign as a movie.

So before you claim something as a haunting, be sure to consider the possibility it could be you or someone in living in your house actually causing the haunting-type experience.

I would love to hear about other people’s experiences with hauntings in the comments below.

If you'd like to read about an intelligent ghost... I've got one in my Druid's Curse series. 



My books are available at these fine retailers:


Thanks so much for stopping by

Sophia Kimble 


Monday, August 29, 2016

When the Sex isn't Working... and Other Author Tales

Grabbed your attention with that post title, didn't I? I hope so. 

I'm neck-deep in the middle of a story and I know where it's going. I know how it'll end. But sometimes I have this problem... I know the general plan, but I skip the sex. I know, crazy, right? Skipping
the sex? I have to be nuts. Or maybe you're thinking... then why not just write the story without the sex? Yeah, that's not how the characters play things. They like it hot.

So...I end up having a problem. I have the story done, like I do with a WIP (Work in Progress), but I can't get into the mood to write the hot spots. 

What is an author to do? 

I won't lie. I have some go-to choices to get me in the mood. Sexy pictures, photos of celebrities that I appreciate, videos and some movies like The Normal Heart. But other times, the characters just don't want to cooperate. 

Then what's an author to do? 

I tend to set the story aside for a few days until the characters talk. Sometimes it's a few days. Other times it can be more than a week or two. I hate that. I like to write the story and finish. I don't like when they lag or hang around, unless there will be a second story or something along those lines. 

So this author will sit back and wait for the characters to tell me exactly how they want to have sex. I've got the start, but maybe they want the door closed for now. I'll let them. Eventually, they'll talk to me and tell me exactly what's going on. Hey, I've got horny toads for characters. They always tell me about the sex. 

Maybe you can help me...any thoughts on getting into the mood? Any suggestions you have for writing hot when the characters won't cooperate?

While we're both waiting on the characters, how about a taste from one of the books in the Battle Scarred series, You Complete Me:


Battle Scarred 4: You Complete Meby Megan SlayerM/F
Paranormal, ContemporaryNovellaLoose IdArt by Mina CarterAn AllRomance Ebooks Staff Pick!

I’ve got your back, if you’re willing to trust your enemy. 


Hagan Dean thought he was helping his friend. He was playing the role of saviorexcept he ended up left for dead in the sunshine. Vampires and sunshine dont mix. Even worse? A Hunterone of the sexiest women hes laid eyes onis ready to kill him. Hes got a lot to survive for and the odds are stacked against him, but he’s a fighter. Will the Hunter let him live another night? Or is this vampire destined to fry into a pile of soot? 
Emily Cross is a born Hunter. Her life’s work is to keep the balance between the Supers and the Supers who have stepped out of line. She’s never been keen on the Rogues taking over the Hunters. She doesn’t want to kill all the Supers…she is one! When she finds a nearly charred vampire in the woods during one of the hunts, her thoughts turn from killing to keeping him alive.
Will these two opposites come together to find common ground in order to help end the war? Or will the passion crackling between them tear their worlds apart?
Available right now from Loose Id!
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-youcompleteme-2014455-143.html



Now for an excerpt:
Copyright © Megan Slayer, 2016“Hey? What’s taking so long? I doubled back past your cottage to make sure you’d gotten home, but you weren’t there.” He leaned on the window frame. “Huh?”“What do you mean?” She tugged the elastic from her hair and regathered the ponytail. “I just took my time. I thought I heard something and had to hide. The noise left, and I was about to follow.”Ben frowned. “Em, you’re not being yourself. You’re always the first one in and the first one out. No straggling. You’re being very secretive. What’s wrong?”Beside the fact he’d come on too strong? She appreciated him acting human rather than like a jerk, but she still wanted him to get the hell away from her. “I’m just tired and moving slower.”“Are you pregnant?”She slumped against the side of her Jeep. “Pregnant,” she blurted. “How in the hell did you come to that conclusion? Slowing down one time automatically means I’m pregnant?”“When Cassadee had her baby, she was so slow on everything, and it made her useless as a hunter.”Emily sighed. She remembered her friend well. Cassadee’s hesitation during a hunt had cost her life and left her daughter without a mother. Emily wished she’d been there to help.“I’m not pregnant. Not even a spark with someone, nor am I thinking about hooking up. Thanks for your concern. I’m leaving right now. Follow me if you want.” She slid behind the wheel of her vehicle. “Ready?”“There are vampires in these woods. I would hate for you to get hurt. I’m on you like glue.” He nodded and kept right up behind her.Emily pulled onto the paved road and gripped the steering wheel tightly. If Ben only knew what she had in the back of the Jeep. He’d flip out. Good thing she’d installed heavy tinting on the windows. Good thing, indeed.

~~~~~

Megan Slayer - It's Always Fun to Squirm
http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
Subscribe to our newsletter ~ http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj 

Thursday, August 25, 2016

When Words Go Wild!

by Nancy Gideon

It started out as such a good idea. A break in my By Moonlight series while I figured out how I wanted to wrap up the storyline in a satisfying bow. I’d do a spin-off batch of novellas tied to the House of Terriot, that rowdy, dangerous clan of warriors living far away from my usual New Orleans setting in their mountain top compound at Lake Tahoe led by volatile new king. I mean when you’ve got twelve hunky shapeshifter princes deserving of their own storyline . . . why waste them. So I picked my favorite four of the dark and deadly half-brothers and went to work. Such fun! How hard can it be, four books 30K words . . . until the first book, PRINCE OF HONOR, came in at 96K. I guess the novella boat has suddenly expanded into a line of luxury cruisers.

I’m half way through PRINCE OF POWER, Book 2 and have already sped past 40K. So it looks like my powerful princes each get their own full novel starting in October!



I didn’t realize until I started tinkering with cover ideas that the acronym for House of Terriot was H.O.T. and these princes live up to that expectation. Deadly, Damaged and Delicious and . . . HOT! Here’s a teaser to tide you over until September 25 when I plan to have Book 1 up for pre-order. . .

Excerpt


Heat pounding off his body burned against the backs of her fingers as they bunched the bottom of his tee shirt, shucking it off him with a violent pull. Her palms prowled chest and shoulders, pausing for him to identify each unfamiliar scar.

At his collarbone: “Cale’s lesson on how to use a blade.”

At the glorious swell of a bicep: “Stephen. Bar fight he started and I had to finish.” Probably because he was too drunk, though Turow would never say so.

Across the hard ridge of his abdomen: “Sparring with Rico.”

Tongue dampening her lips, eyes glowing, obviously turned on by the catalog of combat, Sylvia let her fingertip follow a thin line across his left pec as she purred, “And this one?”

“You. Where you broke my heart.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nancy Gideon on the Web



Saturday, August 13, 2016

How Blogging Helps

Before writing last month’s post, I didn’t have a good title for my sci-fi novella. Usually, I don’t have that problem. Titles generally come easy for me. A couple haven’t, but none like this one. The story started as a short story on The Roses of Prose blog, called “Christmas in Space.” Considering my story was the only science fiction and the others all contemporary, I felt out of place. A non-conformist.

But, as I’ve written before, the story stayed with me. I wanted to know more about these characters who were about to embark on a one-way trip to a planet far, far away. In fact, so far away, it was out of our solar system. I admired the bravery of the six astronauts, much the way I admired the real astronauts who’d ventured so far into the space between Earth and its moon. Only the real astronauts knew they were returning—returning to friends and family. My fictional astronauts weren’t.

Even worse, at least in my mind, they would be put into cryosleep for 99% of the trip. I mean, what’s the use of traveling out of our solar system if you don’t get to see where you’re going and where you’ve been? I’d want to see Neptune, Pluto (even if it isn’t a planet anymore), and beyond. If I felt that way, surely my characters would.

Getting all these thoughts out on blogs, helped me understand what my characters were going through. Writing the story was not a problem. Coming up with a title was. I went through various ideas, none of which set well with me. I asked writer friends for help. Though they gave good suggestions, again none resonated with me. Or made me feel as if it would work.

Finally, I had to title last month’s blog post here. Easy, peasy. I talked about their mission. They were heading out to explore a Goldilocks planet for Earth’s inhabitants, a place of refuge for those living on a dying planet. They were determined to find a New Earth. Hence the title of the post, “Mission to New Earth.”

That’s when the lightbulb popped on over my head. Mission to New Earth was a perfect name for the book. Forget the Christmas angle (though that’s still in the story). It was more than a Christmas story. Besides, more religions were represented by the astronauts than Christianity. In real life, astronauts come from all faiths, all nationalities, all races. Why would my characters be any different?

So, thanks to posting on this blogsite and others, I’ve learned more about my story than doing character analyses, filling out personality charts, or any other methods of learning about my characters. Perhaps it’s reducing an idea to 500 words that really helps. It made me focus on what’s important.

Mission To New Earth, which will be released on August 31st, is available for pre-order at Amazon for 99 cents. https://amzn.com/B01JXZR0AK


Diane Burton writes science fiction romance, romantic suspense, and mysteries. She blogs here on the 13th of each month. She is also a contributor to The Roses of Prose blog, posting there on the 30th. On Mondays, she muses about various topics on her own blog.


Thursday, August 4, 2016

Authors on a Dime is Your One Stop Publishing Shop

Hot Off the Press!
Happy Book Birthday Moon, Mist & Magic!



Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights. Enjoy your favorite author, and perhaps discover someone new, in these five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic…

Featuring stories by Maureen L. Bonatch, Abigail Owen,
 J.C. McKenzie, Sharon Saracino & L.A. Kelley

Available Today! 

Did you notice how fabulous the cover is for 

Moon, Mist & Magic? 

Then, once you snag your copy (print or ebook!) you'll be able to enjoy the stories from five authors. It's been a joy getting to know these authors better and work on the an anthology together.

But...Moon, Mist & Magic would never have come together if it wasn't for one of the authors- Abigail Owen.

Abigail designed...well, just about everything for Moon, Mist & Magic from the cover to formatting, to—all the multitude of little things an author would need to know, to publish a novel. Since Abigail is well versed in all of these tasks, she completed them effortlessly. She made it look easy (take it from me, it's not easy, lol- unless you have an Abigail—and now you can!)


Look no further! Let's hear all about what Abigail can do from...

Authors On A Dime


What We Do

We know how many different tasks can pull an author’s focus away from the important stuff (writing!). Let us help you out by taking on those tasks for you. Select from our à la carte services lists for editing, publishing, graphics, and social media. Or take one of our workshops to learn how to do for yourself. Let us help you!

We are authors with experience, both self-published and traditionally published. We’ve gone through the process of publishing a book from beginning to end. We are also professionals with 20+ years in web design, project management, business analysis, and editing. Add in a couple of MBAs and a Masters in English, and we have the skills to help you in your own writing and publishing process. Authors On A Dime is excited to share our skills and help out other authors!


How We Got Started

Like most writer's I've always been a writer, but I've considered myself an author for about nine years. In that time, I've published seven novels, two novellas, and several stories in anthologies. With more to come, of course. I love what I do! I consider myself a hybrid author as my path as taken me both through self-publishing and traditional publishing through a small press.

In addition to my writing, I've spent the last sixteen years in the tech industry, accumulating skills like web design, efficiency, project management, customer service, etc. A few years ago, I completed my MBA. One of the best experiences in my life.

Recently, the two halves of my life--my professional life and my author life--converged. I started a business! I admit this is both a terrifying and an exhilarating prospect. However, when opportunity presented itself, I found I wanted to blend the skills I'd accumulated over the years with my passion for writing and publishing. I've teamed up with several people who've helped me in my own writing career. Some are published authors, some not, but all with skills that help authors. I can't tell you how excited we are all to start this venture!

Services We Offer

Authors On A Dime offers a multitude of services at prices we hope you will find easy on the pocket book. We offer a wide array of services to select from, including some listed below. 


  • Editing: beta reading, proofreading, brainstorming, editing for other things (queries, synopses, etc.)
  • Publishing: formatting for ebook or print, help with your blurb or synopsis, walking you through publishing on Amazon or Smashwords
  • Graphics: book cover design, logos, social media graphics, print graphics (bookmarks, postcards, etc.)
  • Social Media: help with your website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, or other
  • End-to-End: combined services at a discount (self publish a book, create a social media presence from scratch)


We hope you'll stop by and take a look. Join our newsletter for regular deals, free tips, and giveaways!

Abigail Owens of Authors on a Dime





About the Author:

Maureen writes stories in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that boast laughter, light suspense and something magical in the hope of sharing her love of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She writes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.

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